Handle construction



July 25,1933. G. c.w1LsoN 1,919,455

HANDLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 14, 1928 ATTORNEY Patented July 25, 1933 UNiTEn s'ra'rss GARDINER 0. WILSON, or LQOKPORT, new YORK, ASSIGNOR 'ro iron-Ton LABORATORIES,

PATENT OFFICE Inc, or Locirroa'annw YORK, A conronnrron or MAINE HANDLE CONSTRUCTION Application filed September 14, 1928. Serial No. 305,881.

This invention relates to molded products and particularly to hollow articles sucl as handles and knobs. In making such articles it is necessary to reduce the cost of construc- 5 tion to a minimumbecause the selling price is often very small. Howeverjit is equally necessary to produce an article which is sufliciently durable to withstand continued service. In the past certain articles of this character have been formed from plastic material and in some instances a plurality of members were combined in forming the article; I

One of the objects of the present inven- 15 tion is to form a hollow article by securing permanently together a plurality of molded plastic members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel method of making such articles.

One novel feature of the applicants invention resides in forming complementary cup-shaped members of plastic material and securing the members together so as to form a hollow structure.

Another feature of the'invention resides in securing the complementary members to a metallic member. i

A further feature of the invention resides 39 in securing the members together by shrink ing one member upon another.

Other important objects and features of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the accompanying description together with the figures of the drawing.

In the drawing a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, inwhich Figure 1 is a sectional view of a handle constructed in accordance with the present invention Figure 2 is a. perspective of the metal member employed for securing the handle to a shaft in the form of the invention shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective of the upper handle member employed in the construc tion shown in Figure 1 with the metal member embedded therein; and

Figure 4c is a perspective of the lower handle member employed in the construction shown in Figure l.

In the form of the invention shown in th drawing an upper cup-shaped member 1 is formed of some suitable plastic material e such as phenol condensation products and provided with a centrally-located and in f wardly-extending projection 2. Embedded in this projection and ext-ending from the end thereof as shown in Figure 3-,-is a metallic member 3- formed with a central opening into which a shaft may be inserted for attaching the handle to a door, lever or other member. The outersurface ofthe metal member 3 is knurled or roughened. The upperend of the member which is em bedded in the projection 2 may be roughened in any manner but the lower end is preferably formed with sharp, longitudinal pro jections on its outer surface, as shown in @495 Figure 2.

The lower part-of the handle is formed from a complementary molded member 4, also formed of plastic material such as phenol condensation products and provided on its inner surface with a centrallydocated' recess 5 of suflicicnt diameter to receivethe projecting portion of themetal member 3. The base of this recess is formed'with an aperture 6, through which a shaftior other 9 connecting member may be inserted to be The apersecured to the metal member 0. ture 6 is of substantially the same diameter as the screw-threaded central opening'in the metal member 3 sov that shoulders 7 are formed at the base of the'recess 5 against which the member 3 is seated when the parts are assembled.

The member 4 is formed with an abutment near the center of the outer surface forming the base of the handle and is countersunk toward the aperture 6, so as to guide the shaft or connecting member into the aperture. This countersunk portion in most handles is formed integral with the metal member but in the present construction the additional metal and cost of machining the same are eliminated by molding the countersunk portion in the member 4;

The members 1 and d respectively are pro 100 vided' at their peripheries with male and female shoulders which fit together and prevent lateral and axial movement of the members with reference to each other.

The handle may be constructed in any manner but preferably is formed by a novel process which forms an important part of the invention. In forming the handle illustrated any suitable material, such as phenol condensation products, is finely divided and placed in a mold about the upper end of the metal member 3. The material is then subjected to heat and pressure to form the cupshaped upper member 1 with a male shoulder on its periphery and with the metal member 3 embedded in the inwardly-extending projection 2. The molded handle portion when formed is removed from the mold and allowed to cool.

The lower member is formed in a similar manner by subjecting phenol condensation products to heat and pressure in a mold. lVhen formed the member 4 is removed from the mold and while still hot is fitted onto the previously formed handle portion with the metal member 3 extending into the recess 5 in the heated member 4. The female shoulder 8 on the periphery of the member4 surrounds the male shoulderon the periphery of the member 1. The two handle portions are then pressed together until the male and I female shoulders meet and the member i al lowed to cool. In cooling the hot lower :member 4 shrinks onto the metal member 3 so that the sharp projections are embedded in the walls of the recess 5. The female shoulder on the periphery of the member 4 also shrinks onto the male shoulder on the V periphery of the member 1, making a tight duced rapidly and with a considerable saving in the materials used and the cost of manufacture.

The invention is capable of use in producing other articles than handles and the handleshown may be produced by other processes. Therefore it is not intended that the invention should be limited to the particular construction shown or to the process as described except as defined in the claims. \Vhat is claimed as new is- 1. The method of making a hollow article which comprises forming of a hardenable synthetic resin plastic which shrinks excessively upon initial cooling a male member adapted to constitute apart of said hollow article, molding and hardening by heat a female member adapted .to complete said article and to embrace a part of said male member over which it accurately fits when first hardened, fitting said parts together while the male member is cool, but before the female member is allowed to cool to room temperature.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, in which the metallic member is secured to the male member and extends therebeyond and the female member is formed with an opening so that it accurately fits over the extension of the metallic member when female member is still hot from the hardening operation.

3. A hollow article comprising a male section having an extension inwardly from the surface of the article and a female section of synthetic resin plastic which shrinks excessively oninitial cooling having a complementary recess in which said extension is received, said female member being molded GARDINER 0. WILSON. 

